Fixture



Jan. 25, 1944. R. s. SANFORD FIXTURE Filed D60. 11, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 25, 1944. s. SANFORD 2,340,274

FIXTURE Filed Dec. 11, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 25, 1944 FIXTURE Roy S. Sanford, Oakville, Conn., assignor to The Autoyre Company, Incorporated, '(lakville, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application December 11, 1941, Serial No. 422,495

9 Claims.

This invention relates to bathroom fixtures or accessories and the like, more particularly to fixtures or accessories adapted for flush mounting on walls or similar supports, and the invention has for an object the provision of improved, inexpensive and highly attractive fixtures of this character.

Fixtures and accessories such as soap. dishes, towel bars, toothbrush and tumbler holders, etc., for use in bathrooms, kitchens, and similar locations, have heretofore been proposed wherein the body of the fixture is mounted with a rear surface thereoi flush with the tiling or other wall covering surface, so that the supporting or securing means for the fixture are completely concealed, the usual visible supporting brackets for the fixture being eliminated. In one well known type of fixture of this character the fixture itself is formed integral with the tile used for constructing the wall, while in other Well known types the fixture is mounted on the wall by comparatively complicated and relatively expensive securing means, and in most cases when once positioned on the wall the fixture may not thereafter be removed without great difliculty,

In certain fixtures. of the type to which thisinvention relates, as for example soapdishes or toothbrush and tumbler holders, it is desirable that the fixture be. readily removable ior cleaning and sterilization, as difiiculties are ordinar-ly encountered in cleaning and sterilizing the fixture while it, is mounted on the wall or similar support. Removal of the so-called built-in fixtures for cleaning and sterilization isof course impossible or practically out of the question, and in so far as the applicant is aware previously known flush type or bracketless fixtures have not been designed for ready removal and consequently may be removed. only by the use of tools and with the expenditure of considerable effort.

Fixtureconstructions in which the securing means are concealedv from view and in which the fixture may be readily removed from the wall, are not in themselves new, but in previously known constructions this characteristeric of the fixture has been achieved by the provision of brackets formed from. two separate pieces, one of which is adapted to be secured to the wall and on the other of which the fixture is mounted. In such constructions where the fixtureis to be mounted on the wall, the supporting portions of the brackets are first afiixed to the Wall after which the fixture and its associated bracket portion are disposed in place. In many if not'most cases, the supporting portions of. thebracket which are fixed to the wall are not properly placed, so that the fixture will not be supported thereon in asymmetrical position. Accordingly, it is a further object of this invention to provide a fiush type or bracketless fixture which simulates, by the provision of substantially concealed supporting means therefor, the well known builtin fixture construction, which is readily removable without the use of tools, and which is rigidly and securely supported on a wall or similar support during usage thereof.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a fixture of the above character having a smooth surfaced exterior free from projections, wherein simple attractive lines define the outline of the fixture, together with supporting means which are concealed in use and from which the body portion of the fixture may easily be dc.- tached by a simple forward movement thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an exceedingly simple and inexpensive fixture-supporting means which may readily be installed and positioned so as properly to support the fixture, wherein visible clips, brackets, or supporting arms and their attachingv means which are difficult to install are eliminated- A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a strong and. sturdy fixture construction having excellent load bearing characteristics in which the body portion of the fixture may readily be removed from its supporting means for cleaning orsterilizing without the use of tools.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a fixture of the above-indicated character wherein the fixture itself may be used as a template to insure that the supporting means therefor are properly aligned on the wall so as to support the fixture in a symmetrical position.

In carrying out the invention in one form, a fixture is provided having a body portion which includes a plurality of passageways extending entirely therethrough and terminating in a flat rear face adapted abuttingly to engage the wall or similar support, together with supporting means comprising spaced rods or pins adapted to be received in the passageways in frictional engagement with'the walls thereof so as normally to retain the fixture in position thereon when the rods or pins are secured at their inner ends to the wall, the fixture being removable from the supporting rods or pins by asimple forward sliding motion upon the application thereto of a force o suffic e y reat magnit de t ve o e h friction between the fixture body and the supporting rods or pins.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may now be had to the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a soap dish enibodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the soap dish of Fig. 1, detached from the supporting means therefor;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the soap dish shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view partially in section of another soap dish embodying the invention;

Figs. 6 and '7 are fragmentary horizontal sectional views similar to Fig. 4, illustrating further embodiments of the invention;

Fig. 8 is a plan view partially in section of a towel bar embodying the invention;

Fig. 9 is a top plan view partially in section of a soap dish formed of sheet metal and constituting a further embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along lines llll of Fig. 9.

Referring now to Figs. .1 to 4, inclusive, of the drawings, the invention is shown as applied to a soap dish having a body portion In which may be formed of glass, plastic, porcelain or similar materials, and which is provided adjacent each end with enlarged portions l2 and I3 separated by an intermediate shallow soap-receiving recess 14, As shown best in Figs. 1., 2, and 4, the rear edge of the body portion l0 comprises a vertical flat surface adapted closely to abut a vertical wall l6 (Fig. 1) upon which the fixture is to be supported in use. Adjacent each end thereof the body portion [0 of the soap dish is provided with spaced holes or passageways H, which extend entirely through the enlarged portions l2 and I3 and are substantially parallel throughout their length for receiving a pair of spaced supporting pins or rods 19.

Each of the pins or rods I19, as shown best in Fig. 4, is provided at one end thereof with a beveled portion 20 which terminates in a screw threaded-portion 2| by means of which the pins or rods l9 may be secured in spaced relationship to the wall IS. The opposite end of each of the pins or rods 19 is provided with a suitable slot 18 or other tool-engagingmeans, whereby a screw driver or the like may be employed in securing the pins or rods in the wall or support It.

In order properly to mount the soap dish on .thewall or support IE, it is necessary only to place the body portion I0 of the soap dish in the desired abutting relation with the wall surface and insert the pins or rods 19 through the passageways l1, whereupon the desired driving or turning force may be applied to the pins or rods by a suitable tool so as to cause the screw-threaded portion H to pierce the material of the wall in properly spaced and located positions to support the soap dish in a desired position thereon. After the screw-threaded portions of the pins of rods l9 have initially pierced the wall IS, the body portion may be withdrawn if desired and the pins is screwed up until the beveled portions 20 have entered the wall and the pins'occupy the positions illustrated in Fig. 4. It will of course be understood that it would be substantially impossible to screw the pins or rods l9 into a material such as plaster or wood from which walls or similar supports are usually constructed and have the pins or rods in their final position assume parallel positions with respect to each other, and this characteristic of the supporting rods or pins 19 is made use of in carrying out the present invention. Obviously, if the pins or rods [9 are precisely parallel with each other and if the aligned holes or passageways H in the soap dish are in a similar parallel relationship, the soap dish would be held on the supporting rods solely by gravity and could be readily dislodged therefrom. With the pins or rods 19 slightly out of alignment, however, a frictional force will be exerted between the pins or rods l9 and the walls of the holes or passageways ll so as frictionally to retain the soap dish on the supporting rods or pins. Provision of the beveled or chamfered portion 20 on each of the rods or pins [9 serves to insure that the rods l9 will occupy a position other than exact parallelism, since such a beveled portion has a tendency to tilt the rod or pin slightly as it is drawn up tightly to the wall.

It will now be apparent that the soap dish as above described and as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings, when supported on the wall in the manner shown in Fig. 1, simulates a flushtype or built-in fixture having no unsightly supporting brackets, the supporting pins l9 being substantially concealed except for the small outer end surfaces thereof, and except as the body portion It may be formed of transparent or translucent material. The outer end surfaces of the rods or pins l9 may of course be provided with' any decorative design so long as they are capable of receiving a properly formed tool. The soap dish It is held flush with the Wall l6 by the frictional engagement between the pins or rods 19 and the walls of the holes or passageways H, but may readily be removed from the supporting pins or rods by a simple forward sliding motion upon the application of sufiicient force to overcome the aforesaid frictional engagement.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 5, the soap dish there illustrated is identical with the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 except that in place of the parallel holes or passageways H, the body portion l0 of the soap dish is provided adjacent its opposite ends with holes or passageways 22 arranged slightly out of parallel relationship, each hole or passageway being at an angle of substantially one-half of a degree from a vertical relation to the rear wall l5 of the soap dish. In this embodiment of the invention the pins or rods 23 which co-operate with the angularly extending holes or passageways 22, are substantially similar to the pins or rods 19 except that the beveled or chamfered portion at the inner end thereof is omitted, the rods 23 being provided with a right angularly disposed end surface 24 from which a tapered threaded portion 25. extends. The rods 23 may be secured to the wall or similar support [6 in the mannerdescribed above, utilizing the body portion In of the soap dish as a template initially to position the rods, and it will be apparent that, by reason of the nonparallel relation of the holes or passageways 22, frictional engagement of the pins or rods with the walls of the cooperating passageways will be obtained even though each of the rods 23 assumes a final position which is exactly perpendicular to thewalll6. v V

Of course, various other arrangements of the rods or supporting pins may be provided for insuring the desired frictional engagement with the body portion of the fixture, and in Fig. 6. there'is shown an arrangement wherein curved or warped a'se s'ze 3 rods 28 are provided for co-operation with the parallel aligned holes or passageways ll of the soap dish shown in Fig. 1. By reason of its curvature or warped construction, each of the rods 26 (only one of which is shown in Fig. 6) will engage the walls of the associated hole or passageway I! at the spaced points indicated by the reference numeral 21 in Fig. 6 so as to insure the desired frictional engagement for retaining the body portion of the fixture on the supporting rods while permitting ready removal therefrom.

In some cases it may be desirable to provide additional means for securing the desired frictional engagement between the supporting rods and the body of the fixture in order properly to retain the fixture on the supporting rods, and in Fig. 8 the invention is shown as applied to a towel bar 3! having rearwardly extending supporting portions 32 at each end thereof, each of the supporting portions 32 being provided with an opening or passageway 33 extending entirely therethrough and terminating in a flat rear surface 34 for abuttingly engaging, in fiush relation, a suitable wall or similar supporting surface 35. In this embodiment of the invention, the supporting pins or rods 36, which are adapted to be received in the holes or passageways 33, are provided intermediate their ends with suitable grooves 3! for receiving a split ring 38 of suitable resilient material. When the towel bar 3| is properly positioned on the supporting rods or pins 36, the split ring 38 is compressed by the walls of the holes or passageways 33 and therefore frictionally engages these Walls so as to retain the fixture in place on the supporting rods. The amount of frictional force exerted in the constructioneshown in Fig. 8 is of course dependent upon the character and the resilience of the split ring 38.

In Fig. 7 an embodiment of the invention is shown wherein a soap dish, having a body portion l and suitable apertures l'l therein identical with those shown in Fig. 1, may be positively locked on th supporting pins. As illustrated, the pins 40 in this embodiment of the inventionare provided adjacent their outer ends with toolreceiving slots 4!, and in addition are provided with tapped threaded holes 42 for receiving a small screw orsimilar fastener 43. The head of the fastener 43 is preferably larger than the diameter of the holes or passageways ll, so that when the body portion ll] of the fixture is slid into position over the supporting rods 40 and the screws 43 threaded into the tapped holes 42, the heads of the screws 43 will engage the material of the body portion l9 and positively retain it in the desired position on its supporting rods. In this embodiment of the invention it is necessary only to remove the screws 43 before the fixture may he slid off of the supporting rods 40 for cleaning or sterilization.

In each of the above-described embodiments of the invention, the fixture itself is formed of molded or cast material such as glass, plastics, or porcelain, which are of a somewhat frangible character, and the supporting pins or rods which extend entirely through the body of the fixture serve to reinforce the fixture and assist in absorbing strains or shocks which may be imparted thereto due to inadvertent blows or to the imposition of improper loads thereon. The invention, however, is not limited to fixtures formed from materials of this character, and in Figs. 9 and there is shown an embodiment of the invention comprising a sheet metal soap dish 46 which may be stamped or similarly formed from a' single sheet of thin metal so as to provide a central recess 41 and downwardly extending rear, front and side walls 48. Extending between the front and rear walls of the soap dish adjacent the opposite ends thereof, is a pair of tubular elements 49 which may be suitably secured as by welding to the front and rear walls at the opposite ends of the tubes, suitable openings being pro.- vided in the front or rear walls for receiving the opposite ends of the tubes49, as shown best in Fig. 9..

The tubes 39 thus form holes or passageways extending entirely through the sheet metal soap dish from the front to the rear thereof, and these tubes may be disposed either in substantially parallel relation, similar to the holes or passage, ways in the embodiment of Fig. l, or may be arranged with a slight angularity similar to the holes or passageways 22 of the embodiment shown in Fig. 5. In either event, the supporting pins or rods of the character above described extend within the holes or passageways formed by the tubes 49 so as frictionally to engage the walls thereof and retain the sheet metal fixture in the desired position in flush relation to the wall or sup-port upon which it is mounted.

It will now be apparent that where a sheet metal construction is employed or Where opaque plastic or molded materials are utilized, the supporting means for the soap dish or similar fixture will be entirely concealed except for the outer ends of the supporting pin or rods, which outer ends are relatively inconspicuous and maybe provided, if desired, with decorative designs in addition to the tool-receiving slots therein. Where the body portion of the fixture is formed of transparent or relatively translucent mate? rial, the supporting pins or rods will be exposed to view throughout substantially their entire length, and it has, been found that by providing these supporting pins or rods with a suitable finish, such for example as chromium plating or the like, a highly attractive appearance is obtained.

While I have shown particular embodiments of my invention, it will be understood, of course, that I do not wish to be limited thereto since many modifications may be made, and I, therefore, contemplate by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A fixture comprising a body portion having spaced apart passageways extending transversely therethrough from a front surface to a rear surface of said body, and a plurality of supporting rods therefor having means on one end thereof for securement to a supporting wall in corresponding spaced apart relation, said securement means being of a shape and size for passage through said passageways from front to rear for initial engagement with said wall, said rods when secured to a wall projecting outwardly therefrom in said passageways for movement of said body portion thereover, said rods frictionally engaging the walls of said passageway to support said fixture in removable relation while frictionally retaining said fixture thereon.

2. A fixture for readily removable attachment to the surface of a wall, said fixture comprising a body member having a flat portion for abutment against said wall, said body member having spaced passages extending entirely therethrough, and similarly spaced supporting members comprising headless pins insertable in said passages from the front of said body member for securement to said wall, said pins being of sufiicient length to extend throughout the major portion of the length of said passages and being sufiiciently out of parallel relationship with said passages so that the fixture is removably retained in place on said pins by the binding of the pinson the sides of said passages.

.3, A bathroom fixture or the like comprising a body portion having spaced holes extending entirely therethrough, and a plurality of spaced pins for securement in the surface of a wall slightly out of aligned registry with said holes, said pins being insertable into said holes from either end thereof and after securement to said wall frictionally engaging the sides of said holes upon bodily movement of the fixture thereover, the portions of said pins projecting from said wall being of a sufficient length to extend throughout the major portion of the length of said holes.

4. A bathroom fixture or the like which is bodily removable with a translating motion comprising a body portion having spaced passages therethrough, pins insertable in said passages from either end thereof for attachment in a wall stu'face to support said fixture, and a spring friction member on each of said pins for engaging the walls of said passages to frictionally retain said fixture in place.

5. A soap dish construction for removable securement to a supporting wall comprising a body portion having a depressed central area bounded by an upraised circumferential rib, the rear portion of said rib. having an outer fiat vertical surface for abutment against a wall, said fixture having spaced holes disposed transversely of said fixture and of uniform diameter extending entirely therethrough from the front to rear of said dish and opening on said outer fiat vertical surface, and spaced supporting and reinforcing pins secured to said supporting wall and projecting therefrom for insertion into said holes, said pins and said holes being so related that said body portion is normally frictionally retained in place with the fiat portion of the rear wall snugly abutting the supporting wall but is manually removable by a bodily outward withdrawal of said body portion.

6. In a wall supported accessory, the combination with spaced elongated pins supported at one end in a wall and extending outwardly therefrom in substantially parallel relation, of a fixture having holes therethrough complementary to said pins, at least one of said holes being angularly positioned in said fixture so that when said fixture is placed over said pins the pins will bind against the sides of said holes and frictionally restrain removal of said fixture.

7. In a wall supported accessory, the combination with spaced elongated pins supported at one end in a wall and extending outwardly therefrom, of a fabricated sheet metal fixture having a hollow interior, said fixture having tubular members adjacent each end extending entirely therethrough from the front to the rear of the fixture and spaced to register with said spaced pins, said tubular members and said Pins being slightly out of alignment so that when said fixture is bodily placed over said pins with the pins entering the tubular members the sides of the pins will bind against the sides of the tubular members and frictionally restrain removal of said fixture.

8. A bathroom fixture or the like comprising a body portion having a flat rear surface for abuttingly engaging a substantially vertical supporting wall and having a plurality of'holes extending therethrough from front to rear, supporting means therefor comprising a plurality of pins having threaded screw-like portions on the rear ends thereof insertable through said holes from the front of said fixture when said fixture is held against said wall surface whereby said fixture serves as a template initially to position said pins on said wall, said pins having tool engaging front-ends over which said body portion is slidable to permit removal thereof from said supporting means for cleaning or the like.

9. A bathroom fixture or the like comprising a body portion having a fiat rear surface for abuttingly engaging a substantially vertical supporting wall and having a plurality of holes extending therethrough from front to rear, supporting means therefor comprising a plurality of pins having threaded screw-like portions on the rear ends thereof insertable through said holes from the front of said fixture when said fixture is held against said wall surface whereby said fixture serves as a template initially to position said pins on said wall, said pins having tool engaging front ends over which said body portion is slidable to permit removal thereof from said supporting means for cleaning or the like, and means removably attachable to the front ends of said pins for engaging the front surface of said body portion to lock said fixture in supported relation on said pins.

ROY S. SANFORD. 

